Bill > S05684

This bill expands and updates New York's existing bottle deposit and recycling law by significantly broadening the definition of "beverage" to include noncarbonated soft drinks, fruit and vegetable juices, coffee and tea beverages, and cider, among other liquid products. The bill introduces several key changes, including increasing the handling fee for beverage container redemption from 3.5 to 5 cents (and eventually 6 cents) per container, raising the refund value from 5 to 10 cents beginning in April 2027, and requiring distributors to meet progressive recycling and refillable container goals. Specifically, distributors will need to work towards having at least 25% of their containers be refillable by 2031 and achieve increasingly stringent recycling rates, starting with 70% recycled material by 2027 and reaching 90% by 2031. The bill also mandates that beverage containers include universal product codes for easier tracking, requires annual reporting on redemption rates and container types, and directs the multi-agency bottle bill fraud investigation team to submit a report on redemption fraud. Additionally, the bill provides financial assistance for reverse vending machine installations and creates new definitions and requirements for redemption centers and container handling. The changes are designed to improve recycling rates, reduce waste, and create a more comprehensive and efficient beverage container deposit system in New York State.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S5684